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"The face of the operation is Briatore (referred to exclusively in the film by his colleagues and angry, chanting detractors as "Flavio"), an anthropomorphic radish who spends most of his time at QPR plotting to fire all of the managers."

At press time, Harbaugh had sent Michigan’s athletic department an envelope containing a heavily annotated seating chart, a list of the 63,000 seat views he had found unsatisfactory, and a glowing 70-page report on section 25, row 12, seat 9, which he claimed is “exactly what the great sport of football is all about.”

Exit Jerald Robinson

Well, it finally happened: Jerald Robinson has left the team after two years of practice hype did not translate into playing time. Michigan returns Drew Dileo and Jeremy Gallon, but in non-short-guy receivers the only returning experience is Jeremy Jackson. Darboh, Chesson, and whichever freshmen come in will have to pick it up fast.

Robinson is now the 15th member of the 27-strong 2010 class to exit. The departed:

Conelius Jones (never showed up, academics)

Carvin Johnson (played a bit, but transferred midway through Hoke year one)

Cullen Christian (torched as a freshman, followed Tony Gibson to Pitt)

Demar Dorsey (academics)

Terrence Talbott (left team before fall for mysterious reasons)

Ray Vinopal (same as Christian)

Terry Talbott (injury)

Antonio Kinard (never showed up, academics)

Davion Rogers (never showed up, academics)

Christian Pace (injury)

Stephen Hopkins (moved to FB, injured a bit, quit football)

Austin White (booted off team almost before showing up)

Ricardo Miller (gave up football after not finding PT)

Jerald Robinson (presumed transfer after not finding PT)

DJ Williamson (didn't like football, quit)

What a disaster. Jackson and Dileo are the only WRs left from the five Michigan brought in; Michigan has no other offensive recruits left from that class other than Devin Gardner. There's not much on defense, either: Jibreel Black, Courtney Avery, and Jake Ryan are the only contributors. You are permitted to go poke your Rodriguez voodoo dolls now.

As for the future: Michigan now has a full 25 spots in the current class without anyone else leaving. Lewan is headed to the draft and Michigan's sudden urgency to recruit an additional linebacker or two probably indicates attrition is on its way there, so expect this class to bulge up to 27-28 when all is said and done. Sam Webb suggested on the radio today that Michigan could take up to seven more players from their current total of 21/22, give or take the longsnapper.

I'd expect Green/Dawson/some LB/Delano Hill as four of them, with randoms making up the remainder.

Man our 2010 class was terrible. I looked back at 2009-2011 on scout and its a similar story. Fortunatley our 2012 and 2013 classes are at an elite level. We are recruiting between 16-17 4 and 5 star players a year as opposed to 4 or 5 in our RR years. Similar to what Alabama has been recruiting at these days. We will be great when these guys develop.

The 2010 class is yet another reminder that we need to be patient with Coach Hoke and Co. He's still coaching mostly RR's players (Ryan and Gardner are more the exception than the rule), and it will take another year or two until his recruits take over the team. I can't wait.

It is so sad to see this happen. What a train wreck disaster. For all the complaints of the cupboard being bare when RR arrived, this is even worse. The only difference is that I've never heard Hoke complain once about the situation. He and his staff have done a marvelous job of coaching up the guys on hand, and an even better job of bringing solid guys in. The future is bright indeed.

“Top to bottom Michigan is about excellence, greatness. You have my pledge I will carry forward the excellence of Michigan football." Jim Harbaugh, December 30, 2014

Didn't Rich Rod also have two QBs when he was hired - Mallett and Threet? (I won't count Sheridan.) Of course, Mallett did not stay, but we did not know that at the time. At the time of the coaching change, we seemed to be in OK shape at QB.

OL was another story. We should have realized that that was a disaster waiting to happen, except a lot of fans convinced themselves that Mike Barwis could spin straw into gold in one offseason.

If you read the initial reactions (only Brian's really, the comments are lost to haloscan), not only did we all think Mallett was all in (and that Threet was a solid backup), but that RR would run the same sort of air raid he did at Glenville and Tulane with them

When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing. -- Bo Schembechler

I hate to see our taller targets go since we lack height at the position, but unfortunately I haven't seen much in terms of pass catching ability from them (Jackson, Reynolds, & Robinson). Maybe this is why Hoke was talking about wishing he could play freshman in the bowl without blowing their redshirts (Chesson). I'm really hoping either Darboh or Chesson step up next year and at least one of the freshman in 2013 show they're ready to contribute within a year.

Assuming we don't land a Treadwell type, who in this 2013 class at WR do we see likely being able to contrubute in 2014 (assuming they probably redshirt and/or don't see much time as a true freshman)?

Strength equipment is expensive and guarantees you nothing. A strong will is free and can give you everything you want.

I think Jaron Dukes is being overlooked a little bit - He could be pretty good. I also think that Chesson and Darboh will be pretty good next year. Damario Jones looks like a pretty good athlete as well. Im still hoping that Treadwell remembers what made Michigan his favorite when he comes back for a visit and commits.

I think Jaron Dukes is being overlooked a little bit - He could be pretty good. I also think that Chesson and Darboh will be pretty good next year. Damario Jones looks like a pretty good athlete as well. Im still hoping that Treadwell remembers what made Michigan his favorite when he comes back for a visit and commits.

I like RichRod and defended him to most of the Michigan fandom I suround myself with. I like parts of the spread offense, but it was the defense that let us down, alot, and all the time. And the offense in big games. And special teams. And holding onto the damn ball. And all the yelling.......

Maybe his 2010 class was not the best, and Hoke and co. has done an amazing job with what was given to them. In my mind, I thank him for bring in two of my all time favorite Wolverines in Denard and Jake Ryan.

I wish those who choose to leave the best, and hope they find what they are looking for.

I'm pretty sure there was, but it still irritates me more than a little at the double standard the media applied to Rodriguez versus Hoke. When legacy players under Carr left Michigan it was because Rodriguez "ran them out of town", but when Rich's guys leave under Hoke, it merits nary a mention and it's just "normal" attrition.

I don't understand these arguments. Would you prefer that the media trash Hoke whenever a guy leaves?

Let's face it, Rich Rod wasn't very good at PR. The guy's made a lot of enemies for whatever reason. Instead of complaining about double-standards, maybe we should be happy that our current coach is able to deal with the media and his own players in a way that doesn't produce constant PR fiascos.

I would prefer that the media wouldn't trash any coach when a player leaves for any coaching transition related reason, because, in reality, it's not really that big of a surprise or a story. I don't think Hoke deserves any criticism whatsoever when a player recruited by Rodriguez finds himself in a poor fit in a new system and decides to seek greener pastures. Just like I don't think Rich Rodriguez deserved any criticism when players recruited by Lloyd decided to move on, yet when Justin Boren transfers and talks about "family values", the media didn't portray it as an immature entitled player taking a cheap shot, it was portrayed as Rodriguez being arrogant and running players out of town.

Like Boren, Clemons, and Mallett to some extent, when they leave. Is that because those players were all less classy a group? Because they were a lot better than the guys leaving so they could speak up and people would want to listen? Or because Hoke handles players in a way they don't feel the need to? As with all things, I imagine it's a combo of "all of the above." But till there is and the media dismisses that player, that's not really a double standard.

You can complain that the media gave Rich a raw deal, because they did. But to say they're propping up Hoke in the same situation isn't really fair (or worth getting mad about), because the situations aren't the same.

What was the first thing Hoke did upon arriving in A2...that's right, He talked to the players he felt he had to keep in A2 to be successful and convinced them to stay.

What was the first thing RR did...I don't recall either, but it surely wasn't comprable to what Hoke did.

I'll give credit where credit is due. Rodriquez evidently has a knack for going to a school that has nowhere to go but up, and convince them that they can go up. It is much easier to convince players to buy into a system that promises almost instant riches where previously there had been none, than it is to convince players that are used to riches that they'll have to change to continue enjoy riches.

In 2002 we signed 22 recruits. 13 either left the school early or essentially never made a significant on-field contribution. The 2005 class had 23 members. At least 14 never did anything of note and/or left the team early. 9-11 guys is the most you are going to get out of just about any class because there are only so many starting spots to go around.

Throw in a coaching change, the fact that this class had built-in attrition waiting to happen (you can't play 6-7 DBs at a time and 27 is an enormous class), and that this was the group recruited off the 3-9 season and this isn't at all surprising or really at all troubling.

The good news is that guys who aren't going to start aren't sticking around and taking up a roster spot like many did in the Carr years. Attrition is good. Having guys like Carl Tabb, Obi Oluigbo, Darnell Hood, and a host of others around that time get fifth years probably cost Michigan a national title in 2006. Hopefully we see the same thing continue to happen and Coach Hoke brings in a full recruiting class every year. That is what good programs do.

You have no idea how guys like Tabb, Oluigbo, and Hood contributed to that team being one of the best in Michigan history. Plus, the suggestion that these guys selfishly stuck around during the Carr years to graduate - or that the coaching staff wrongly let them do so - seems profoundly unfair and inconsistent with what most of us what Michigan's program to be. Despite your frequent suggestions that Carr's teams weren't successful (e.g., "that is what good programs do"), here are some bottom lines:

Carr coached here for 13 years. In that time, he won a national championship, at least a share of five Big Ten titles, and went 19-8 against top ten teams. That's a good fucking program, and it didn't get there by deliberately pushing out guys who you don't think contribute to your standards.

Also, you cherry-picked a couple of Carr classes (2002 & 2005), included "never made a significant on-field contribution" group, and then somehow suggest that it isn't troubling that the 2010 class is what it is. That class looked terrible by Michigan standards when it was signed, but its ranking was propped up by its size and the presence of a couple of highly rated kids who were unlikely ever to make it at Michigan.

If you're frustrated about the way that Rich Rod was treated, that's fine, and I share some of that frustration. To me, that doesn't excuse this kind of post, which is dishonest, cruel to kids who went through the Michigan program, and unnecessarily defensive.

Carl Tabb never got the ball much, but he played a LOT. He crossed paths with some excellent Michigan receivers, so he was naturally an afterthought, but he was still on the field blocking, playing special teams, etc. He didn't put up a ton of stats, but he still made a significant contribution.

Obi Oluigbo forced and recovered a fumble in Michigan's 17-10 win against Penn State in 2006, and he also spent a lot of time on the field, even though he didn't get the ball much.

And Darnell Hood was a special teams ace in 2006. He made 14 tackles that season and forced a fumble that was recovered by long snapper Turner Booth in Michigan's 27-13 win against Wisconsin

You don't have to be a superstar to make a significant contribution to a team. Tabb started 2 games in 2006, and Oluigbo was THE starting fullback. I think your standards are too high for "making a significant contribution." And to compare those guys to the 15 guys who departed early from Rodriguez's 2010 class is kind of laughable. It's not the same thing at all.

ALSO: You'll notice that the 2002 class was largely devoid of low character guys or guys with academic problems. There were only 2 or 3 guys with issues, and all of them made it to Michigan at one point or another. Rodriguez had 4 of those guys in 2010 never even make it onto the team (Dorsey, Kinard, Jones, Rogers), and a fifth (White) didn't make it through August after he enrolled in January of that year.

Tabb was also an excellent special teams player. I recall him making a couple of touchdown-saving tackles on kickoffs.

I'm very uncomfortable with the idea that we should criticise a player for staying here until graduation (or his coach for allowing it). A team is made up of more than just the guys who start. The backups who come in every day and push the starters to be their best are important, too. I think we can be a nationally-competitive program without shoving all the non-starting 4th-year guys out.

This is a really awful viewpoint. The idea that a football team at a UNIVERSITY should be in the business of shuffling off non or low contributing players prior to graduation to make room for new blood - or that this "is a good thing" is so opposed tomthe idea of higher learning...

I wonder how many will remember his fact next year when we struggle a bit and the fire Borges crowd gets vocal again. 2013 is going to be an offensive disaster, and anything better is going to be a credit to Borges.

I'd hold off a bit on making such dire predictions. OL is a concern, but we do at least have guys who have gotten a lot of recruiting/practice hype. And having a senior QB with game experience is invaluable.